Shadow of the Colossus blurs the line between what is game and what is art.
It certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to ICO, but a sequel it is not. Shadow doesn't continue or contribute to the story of ICO. It is its own creation, taking only the best things from the masterpiece before it, like its advanced stance on game design and storytelling.
You'll probably first try Shadow of the Colossus for the opportunity to play a cool game about slaying giant monsters, but you'll love it for its surreal dreaminess and thought-provoking story. More than anything, the illusion that Shadow's world could actually exist somewhere, complete with its vast expanses and the mythical colossi who dwell there, will tug at your curiosity and beckon your inner-adventurer. For roughly 15 or so hours, you will be captivated by its awe-inspiring majesty.
If ICO was a breath of fresh air, then Shadow of the Colossus is a deluge of it. Like ICO, Shadow simply refuses to deviate from a premeditated set of principles. Rather than tell you outright what is going on, this game urges and, to some degree, dares you to soldier on and find it all out for yourself. You'll start the game with only the slightest idea of who, what, why, when or where you are, and, frankly, you'll play much of it in that same state of cluelessness. It's a profound method of storytelling that allows you to develop your own sense of self, but it will, unfortunately, repel some gamers. Others, however, will be entranced by it.
Actually playing Shadow of the Colossus is, for all practicality, a very simple, straightforward affair. You, a mysterious wanderer, are to traverse the immense geography of this world, searching out and slaying the colossi who exist within it. The ancient sword you carry serves as a beacon which, when you hold it skyward, will reflect the sun's rays into a tight beam of light, revealing to you the location of each colossus. Your quest is to simply engage and slay them all. Do this, and your fallen girl will be rejuvenated by the entity dwelling at the shrine where her body lay.
And that's all you get. Take it or leave it. Shadow achieves a miraculous balance between being completely straightforward yet dreadfully mysterious. No light is cast upon the main character, his fallen girl, the ominous voice, or the history of this world. You aren't told what happened to her, or how your character knew to bring her to this temple to revive her. There is also no rationale supporting why destroying the colossi will give the entity behind the voice the power to resurrect her. Are the colossi evil? Is the voice evil? Where is this place? Just what is going on here?
Shadow of the Colossus' gameplay is another unique experience unto itself. To be plain, Shadow's controls are as eccentric as its layout, and will likely feel stiff and inaccurate at first, especially when you mount your horse, Agro. The controls do enhance Shadow's mood, but It takes some time, maybe a half hour, before they and the heretical camera become intuitive. Once you get a feel for it, though, you'll realize that they are the perfect match for Shadow's dreamlike atmosphere. The only thing detracting from its gameplay is that there are quite a few functions to be mapped all across the dual-shock 2 controller, (grab, shoot, jump, mount, roll, switch weapons, lock camera, call Agro, etc.) and deftly managing your thumbs about them can be daunting in a pinch. But since the controls can be arranged however you see fit, this minor nuisance is pretty easy to overcome.
Sometimes the very general directions given to you by your sword are not as precise as you might like them to be, and you wind up doing more wandering than battling. On the bright side, galloping across the terrain on horseback is an enjoyable experience in and of itself. Like all great things, it's the details that make the difference. For example, anyone who has really ridden a horse will be shocked at how authentic riding bareback on Shadow of the Colossus feels. Agro is a very powerful looking steed, and his running performance mirrors every bit of his stout appearance. He reacts realistically as you command his reins, behaving like a horse ought to; not like a car with legs. It's fun, and it's whimsical, but sometimes it comes in too great of doses for too long at a time.
Obviously, the heart and soul of Shadow of the Colossus' gameplay comes down to finding and defeating the mighty colossi, and SCEI went above and beyond when staging these incredible face-offs. Don't be caught off guard. The tranquility of the game's outset is a stark contrast to the excitement of actually doing battle with your colossal quarry. Just figuring out how to ascend them to attack is most of the battle, the other part rests in actually following through with your plan. Pointing your sword's reflected light at a colossus will highlight its weak spots for you, and if you wait long enough, the game will usually toss you a hint to get you on your way to victory. Of course, the first few colossi are relatively easy to decipher,so no hint will likely be necessary. But by the time you get to the fourth one you've got to learn to use your wit to best them. Once you uncover their vulnerabilities, though, finishing them off is usually pretty easy. The one and only hiccup in the gameplay is that too often, once you do understand how to beat a colossus, it can take too long to do it. Sometimes you must wait on very specific cues on their part before you can effectively front an assault, and it gets pretty old just standing around waiting for them to open up.
Shadow of the Colossus simply fails on almost all aesthetic fronts. It is charged with a host of technical no-nos such as frame-skip, poor draw distance, jagged, blocky edges, and awkward lighting in some areas. But, somehow, it overcomes these glaring blemishes through glorious artistry. The grandeur of the scenery, as well as the jaw-dropping magnificence of each colossus, are at once captivating and breathtaking. For the time it will take you to finish the game, you'll be taken by its mind-blowing imagery. Instead of becoming distracting, and distancing you from the game, the graphical missteps magically enhance Shadow's dreamlike repose, magnifying your immersion.
If you are not completely floored by your first encounter with a colossus, or if subsequent encounters become ho-hum to you, then you hate beauty. These creatures are nothing if not one-hundred percent magnificent to behold. You'll freeze like a popsicle the first time a colossus gazes down upon you, meeting your eye, and will probably be so smitten by their majesty you'll scarcely remember to dodge their first few attacks. When you get close enough to touch them, their very scope will make you sink in your seat. There is no debate. You have never been this amazed by the presence of a boss in a game, and you probably haven't seen anything more enchanting even in cinema.
The same is true for its magnificent scenery. Once you think you've taken everything in, Shadow throws another dark valley, or a deep canyon your way for you to revel in. Each time you progress to a new colossus, you'll believe you've seen the best the game has to offer along the way. And you'll be proven wrong time after time. The more deeply you delve, the more amazing it becomes.
Fortunately, no subjective discernment is necessary to enjoy Shadow of the Colossus' audio package. Great stretches of the game feature naught but the faint whisper of the wind as the air whistles over the landscape in tandem with the rhythmic clip-clopping of Agro's hooves. When you venture into key areas, music will begin to play to match that area's mood. It's only during the actual confrontations with the colossi that the music is ever pronounced, as it ramps into adrenaline-pumping fight music. The mood of the game is ever-changing, and the audio backing is perfectly set to bring it all to life in very natural fashion.
It is impossible to ignore the hint of evil and malice in the "hero's" actions. To resurrect his love, he hunts, then mercilessly slays each of the colossi. He acts coldly, bearing absolute comtempt for the preciousness of their existence. There is little reason to believe the "hero" is doing anything beneficial for anyone but himself. The colossi give no evidence of being evil, nor are they guilty of anything for which they should be executed. Sure, they are colossal; yes, they are daunting. But they're also alive. They're innocent. They cry out in agony every time your blade strikes true upon their flesh. And they bleed. Each one struggles and fights desperately to be free of you, but cannot overcome your resolve. Then, just as suddenly as when you trespassed upon their keep, they tumble down to the earth defeated -- dead by your hand.
There is a deep, clear message presented by Shadow of the Colossus, and its obvious parallel to humankind is breathtaking. Like poetry, or to some extent, literature, Shadow leaves itself open to interpretation. That is enough to warrant your dollar and command repeated playthroughs, but SCEI actually took it a bit further. Sprinkled within are a few nifty extras, like a time-trial mode, as well as some nods to ICO in the way of unlockable weapons. Also, during your first adventure, you can wander back to the corpses of slain colossi and replay them in "reminiscence" mode. In short, Shadow of the Colossus features a handful of nice extras to invite you back for more besides being one of the most important games of recent times.
It would have been easy for SCEA to engage in a more conventional approach to its design for Shadow and perhaps enrapture a broader audience, but that would have been equally disastrous. Instead of compromising its vision, Shadow follows the lead set by its unofficial predecessor, ICO, and adheres strictly to its own philosophy. It does not jeopardize what it is intended to be by straying from what makes it beautiful. There isn't a storm of cinematic story sequences to set you on your way, or miles of text to read to bring you up to speed. Shadow won't patronize you with an unwelcome "tutorial" mode, nor tax you with a world filled with mindless baddies to hack and slash between fighting the colossi. Instead, Shadow of the Colossus boldly stands as one of the few titles that transcend what games can be. It is a miracle of visionary expression within the gaming medium. Games and art are separated by a very thin line, and Shadow of the Colossus blurs it.